Just a quick post to wish you all a happy St. Patrick’s Day! I’ve come to understand from a few of my Irish friends that the Irish soda bread we eat here in America is not in the slightest bit authentic. Some say the batter would most definitely not contain butter, some say no way to the white flour and sugar, and all say definitely not to the caraway seeds. But this is the Irish soda bread I know well from a childhood spent eating it dipped in milky sugary tea every March, so it’s the one I’ll be providing you with a recipe for today. This soda bread is really more of a skillet-scone (is that a thing?). The sweetness of the sugar and currants is grounded by the caraway seeds, it is light and airy, a little bit tart from the buttermilk —it’s just really a delight.

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet (or any oven safe skillet) and line it with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together your buttermilk, beaten eggs, and 2 Tablespoons of your melted butter (reserve the rest). Mix together wet and dry until smooth, being very careful not to mix too much (this bread will get tough quickly the more you mess with it). Fold in currants and caraway seeds, pour batter into skillet, brush with reserved butter and bake until golden and firm to the touch (40-50 minutes).

Since you’re here…These are a few of my favorite books by Irish authors:
The Revolutions Trilogy by John Banville (includes Doctor Copernicus, Kepler, and The Newton Letter)The Woman Who Gave Birth To Rabbits By Emma Donoghue
Outside History By Eavan Boland (a collection of poems)
Christine Falls and The Silver Swan By Benjamin Black (John Banville’s mystery/thriller pen name)The Gathering By Anne Enright
Good Behaviour By Molly KeaneMurphy By Samuel BeckettThe Sea By John Banville

7 thoughts on “Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!”

Have just seen lots of Irish bread at Wilson Farms in Lexington. The breads had just been put on the counter as fresh as could be , yet they were”hard”. I know that your recipe will be better, and easier to eat.
Enjoy the parade,
Seymour

So sorry, Jenny! The remaining butter gets brushed on top of the batter before it goes in the oven. If you didn’t do this, though, no problem at all. I did it both ways and they were both delicious. Let me know how it turned out!

Wonderful — I made corned beef and cabbage today (despite the lack of Irish blood in my family), but I neglected to make the Irish soda bread, so perhaps tomorrow. And I have a very soft spot for the Irish — particularly the poets and the writers.